Timeline of India
India: 4600 BC: Archaeological evidence shows that both the Zebu cow and the Indian wild boar are widespread and widely used for agriculture and food by this time in India. In addition, goats and sheep are herded in more mountainous or arid areas. 4000 BC: '''Advanced pottery and clay tablets with proto-writing appear around the Indus River valley and along the Ganges River. '''2762 BC: First recorded event on the Indian subcontinent (recorded down about 1000 years later): King Goshur of Harappa defeats a raiding party from Mosjo-Dara in a battle alongside the Indus. Approx. 3600 BC: The first evidence of rice cultivation is found in Eastern India. 2462 BC: The last semi-legendary King of Kompati, Shosmo-Hajni, dies (his reign having lasted for 252 years) and is replaced by King Shumapur, who founds the Kompati Empire, ruling over much of the Ganges River Valley. 2442 BC: Later histories say that messengers from a kingdom to the west of Kompati arrived in King Shumapur's court. Their kingdom, called Sinthu, is also based around a river. This is regarded as the first contact between the Indus Valley and Ganges River civilizations. '2135 BC:' The Eksthas conquer much of the Indus Valley with their bronze swords and armor. This is the first widespread use of bronze in India. The Eksthasonian Empire is considered the first large empire in Indian history, as it stretches from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean. 2131 BC: Kompati legends say that in this year, they bribed the secret of bronze from several Eksthasians, and started producing it themselves. The two cultures will compete for the next several hundred years.* Approx. 2100 BC: Rice farming is now widespread all over India. In the South, traces of the Polished Black Bowl culture appear, but no written records remain for this civilization. Kompati records record trading with foreigners from the south, however. 2002 BC: '''During the Kompati 6th Dynasty, a new kingdom appears to the southwest, ruled by King Masgidu. The people in Masgidu (the kingdom is named after it's founder) speak Costhono, which is very closely related to Kompati. Masgidu covers from the Bay of Bengal to the southern edge of Kompati. '''2000 BC: '''By this time, there are no less than 6 organized states on the Indian subcontinent. The largest is Eksthas, which has declined from it's peak. Following them are Kompati, Masgidu, and several smaller kingdoms and city-states (Kumchol, Bostam, and Oluum). '''1950 BC: '''A seminal event in Indian history: the Do-Rayan invasion. The Do-Rayans, moving through Iran from their ancestral homelands, first attack the Eksthasionian Empire, causing it's rapid collapse. With their horses and fearsome archery, the Do-Rayans are swift conquerers. '''1800 BC: By this date, all of northern India is under Do-Rayan control, organized into a dozen or so kingdoms (as well as one theocracy and two republics) called the Kamekwambas. Do-Rayan princes have a habit of marrying native women, and the two cultures undergo a rapid merger. The myths and histories of the kingdoms they supplanted are written down by the Do-Rayan, in a series of religious books called the Vetics. The polytheistic religion of the Do-Rayan is combined with the native pantheism* and diverse religious culture to found the religion which will come to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent, Bhramatumpa. 1782 BC: During the Do-Rayan conquest, much of the cultural elite of the Kompati and Eksthas Empires fled south with their armies and attendants. In the south, they had founded the Republic of Chichmoyn (in reality an oligarchy power-shared between the Kompati and Eksthas). In this year, Chichmoyn armies attack the Do-Rayan kingdom of Gajram and conquer it. In response, the other Do-Rayan kingdom's gather together and launch a devastating counter-attack. In the Battle of Scoltipur, the Chichmoyans are decisively defeated, and nearly all the nobles are killed. As part of the peace treaty that is signed afterwords, they will accept Do-Rayan leaders and adopt Sanskrit as their liturgical and elite language. 1762 BC: The Do-Rayan king of Chichmoyan, Chindrogata, makes the last Dravidian (native Indian) state in Southern India a tributary state, effectively completing the Do-Rayan conquest of India. 1500 BC: '''By this time, Do-Rayan and Dravidian cultures have almost completely merged. Dravidian languages are almost extinct (as recorded in the Vetics (which were not compiled until almost a thousand years later), but researchers today have found that 60-80% of the vocabulary in Do-Rayan languages is Dravidian, while the grammar remains Do-Rayan*. In Eastern India along the Ganges, King Changragosa has unified the Kamekwambas (Do-Rayan Kingdoms) into the Empire of Ganges (the name of the river is derived from the name of the empire, which means "swift"). The people of Ganges, who speak the Do-Rayan language Bonglo, are renowned for their military technique; they are organized down the last man in layers and layers of subcommanders. It is said in the Vetics that their army can march 100 kami (approx. a mile) in a single day. '''1496 BC: Iron tools begin to appear across India, indicating that it had been experimented with for some time beforehand. The utility of the metal is instantly recognized, as iron swords, axes, and armor appear in the militaries of almost all Indian states within five years. 1472 BC: The original copy (now lost) of Noatmes' Colmnomaja is written in the small Kingdom of the S'donsma. The treatise, considered a foundational work of Indian philosophy, science, and political thought, lays out several revolutionary ideas. In biology, Noatmes introduces the idea of selective breeding of animals in order to increase desirable traits and decrease undesirable flaws. In astronomy, the Colmnomaja (meaning "The Summary"), predicts accurately the eclipses of the moon and the rotations of the stars. Socially and religiously, the Colmnomaja suggests that women are mentally equal to men, and "indeed are more able at scheming and planning,". He draws his social conclusions from the Vetics, which claim that "Otmun imbues his greatness in each and every one of us." Noatmes' revolutionary ideas gain some traction, and the King of S'donsma invites him to his court to study. 1427 BC: The various kingdoms and republics of India, organized by King Eksmanthi of the Ganges, begins their work on their most visible and famous legacy: the athvani, or roads. The states of India are largely at peace, and trade is growing between all the different states. In order to facilitate trade, they build roads, which are masterpieces of engineering for their time. The roads are approximately 30 feet across, allowing for two marked lanes of cart traffic and two marked lanes of horse traffic. They are slanted with drainage ditches to either side, and many layers to soak up the rain and prevent long-term wear. Over the next 50 years, over 1500 kami of paved roads are built across India, and a map found in Gangetic records indicates at least 4000 kami of unpaved roads were also cleared and built. 1312 BC: In addition to facilitating trade, the athvani have also facilitated conquest. From a peak of over 40 independent states on the Indian subcontinent, only 12 remain. Most prominent are Chichmoyan, Ganges, S'donmsa, and Ulamntaop (named after the ancient kingdom of Uluum). 1234 BC: The Indian elephant, already widely used for construction, logging, and warfare, has been bred by specialized breeders in the Kingdom of S'donmsa to be faster and more pliable. It can now run at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour and has lost the tendency to panic in a battle. 1233-1229 BC: In a series of short wars, S'donmsa unites much of Southern India, with the exception of Chichmoyan. A S'donmsa scribe described one battle: "First, our archers advanced and released several volleys, which were countered as well by their archers. Their slingers, hidden at the sides, also attacked and drew back. It appeared to them that our army of infantry was cowering in fear, and so they ordered their cavalry to charge and destroy us. Their cowardly king was so confident that a captured soldier related that the dog had remarked: 'The S'donmsans will seal their fate with blood today!' Our noble King then gave the signal; at once like a great wave splitting, the troops parted and through them came the war elephants. A gray wall of tenscore elephants, with iron barbs on their tusks and feet, with archers on their backs and with armor on their sides and belly charged towards the enemy with speed nearly as great as their cavalry charge. The horses and the elephants met in the middle of the field: and though you could not see for the dust they kicked up, after it cleared their horses all lay dead on the grass; and our elephants, screaming and trumpeting laid waste to their army, which fled like sheaves of dry grass into the wind. Their King was killed and his wife and concubines captured, to be enslaved for our nobles." 1175 BC: By this time, the "improved" elephants (known as sudmo-akstho, or the iron death) have spread all across India and have proved so effective in battle that cavalry are fast becoming outdated. The short legs and stout bodies of the horses are no match for the ten-foot elephants. However, only the richest kingdoms can maintain large amounts of sudmo-akstho, as they require prohibitive amounts of food. 1098 BC: A Bhramatumpan holy man named Uingereza begins preaching across S'domnsa. He believes that Noatmes, author of the Colmnomaja was a god on earth, and that his ideas are holy. Therefore, he calls for equality for women in politics, and for the poor to be aided and helped. These planks gain him a considerable following among the poor. Some samples of his writings have survived: "Every one among us is a god, and by doing good deeds, that within us which is holy increases in the next life. The gods-on-earth of times past are gone; it is to us mortals now to improve ourselves and others." 1096 BC: Some peasants begin to rebel against the King of S'domnsa, despite Uingereza's pacifism. The King's armies are called out and crush the rebellion mercilessly. In the battle, it is said that unarmed peasants stand without fleeing at a charge of the sudmo-akstho. The King, Kukabiliana, is so appalled at the bloodshed that he renounces violence and becomes a pacifist, inviting Uingereza to speak to him at court. 1091 BC: The King of S'donsma, influenced by his powerful wife Uwezekano and his adviser Uingereza, makes it official policy within his Kingdom that women are equal to men with regards to law and politics. In response, the Rebellion of the Men takes place. Across the southern areas of S'domnsa, wives are murdered by their husbands when they try to assert their rights. The men quickly band together for protection against the law, and form an army. In the short Battle of Kitu Zaidu, a S'donmsan army led by Uwezekano ends the rebellion. 1087 BC: A Chinese monk, Sumoso, arrives in the Empire of the Ganges. He lives there for several years before returning to China and writing a book on his journeys. 1083 BC: The King of S'donsma dies childless, and his wife Uwezekano takes the throne. Uwezekano had become frustrated with her husband's pacifism, and is noted for her intense personal drive, conviction, and political ambition. 1081-1078 BC: The S'donsman-Chichmoyan War. Over three years, Uwezekano leads S'donsma to conquer Chichmoyan. She is an excellent military tactician and is driven by a conviction to "liberate" women everywhere. 1078 - 1069 BC: '''In a series of wars known as Uwezekano's War, S'donsma unifies all of India except the Empire of the Ganges. '''1069 - 880 BC: An uneasy peace settles over India while a cultural renaissance takes place across the subcontinent, known as the First Golden Age. Mostly unified for the first time in it's history, and with nearly one hundred years of peace, astronomy, science, metallurgy and technology reach the highest level seen at this point in the world. Steel is developed and deployed, great cities and roads are built, and the population of the capitol, Angalia, reaches one million people in the census taken 992 BC. In the north of India, great aqueducts are built, and a canal is dug from the Indus River to fertilize the desert of Mipango (OTL Rajhastan). Socially, it is a time of great change. Women, now considered equal to men in almost all areas, and favored by the Empress Uwezekano, come to dominate palace politics. When Uwezekano dies in 1052 BC, she is succeeded by a woman called Alijua, who had previously been Uwezekano's handmaiden. Land rights are decreed by law to be equal between men and women, and inheritance is equitably split. Before he dies in 1061 BC, Uingereza collects his works into the Kidogo, a religious treatise from which most of the organized principles of Bhramatumpa are derived. In the Gangetic Empire, a reactionary fervor opposes the revolutionary change in the Empire of S'domnsa. Women are oppressed to a degree not seen elsewhere in the world. A decree from the King in 1051 BC declares that women are not humans, but are built to serve true humans and act as vessels of reproduction. Accordingly, all women are slaves from the time they are born, with no rights whatsoever. 880 - 878 BC: '''The Emperor of S'donsma, a man known as Wajerumani the Cruel, invades the Empire of the Ganges. The S'donmsan army, far larger and better equipped, defeats the Gangetics in three battles near the mouth of the Ganges. In response to their imminent destruction, the Gangetics begin a mass genocide. Declaring that the women of his kingdom will never be allowed to be free, the last king of the Ganges sends word throughout his empire that all women are to be killed. It is estimated that over 12 million women are murdered over the next several months, and by the time the S'donsmans have established control over all of Gangetia, over 3/4 of it's women are dead. In response, Waejerumani orders a "counter-genocide" to be carried out. All men over the age of 12 are to be killed, and, over several weeks and with brutal efficiency, they are. Another 13 million people are killed, all of them men. Waejerumani then orders settlers to move into the mostly depopulated land immediately. The Gangetic War is still among the deadliest conflicts mankind has undergone, and the double genocide marks the end of India's first Golden Age. '''868-865 BC: A group of noblemen (and women) from the south of S'donsma rebel against Waejerumani. This rebellion, known as the Maspiti Rebellion (after the town where it began) poses a serious threat to Waejerumani, but he prevails in the end, and kills all of his opponents in the area. 865 - 602 BC: Kompatiasi remains united under the S'donsman Empire, but there is technological and economic stagnation. In the northeast, the area around the Mouths of the Ganges is re-settled after the Gangetic War, and becomes a major rice-producing area. Over time, however, palace politics begin to place a strain on the empire. Taxes are slowly raised on rice and other staples due to the extravagant lifestyles of the emperors. Pia Matijiri, 12th Emperor of S'donsma, is said to have bathed in gold; this is further explained: "The Emperor, most holy and gracious, ordered that gold be brought before him; and he took some of it and asked if it could be made into a powder. After much difficulty, the gold was broken up into a powder, which was then mixed with warm water for the Emperor's pleasure." The military, not often engaged in fighting, becomes political, and attempt to stage a coup in 721 against Empress Rushwa Askari, but she manages to buy off the ranks with a massive payment and promises of power. From that point on, regular payments to the military are required to keep an emperor in power. Socially, Kompatiasi has settled into it's radical ways. Women are viewed as equal to men in every respect except military, and are well represented in the government and politics. Religion during this time period undergoes few changes, with Uingereza's Kidogo being venerated alongside the Vetics as the principal texts of Bhramatumpa. 602 BC: A peasant rebellion begins in western Kompatiasi after a local malkia, or duchess, raises taxes on rice to 4/5 of the harvest after a bad harvest. Led by a husband and wife named Waasi and Kunyanyaswa, the rebels quickly seize control of much of the Indus Valley. In the south, an opportunistic general takes his chance, and declares independence, while a palace coup throws the capitol, Angalia, into chaos. Records for the period immediately afterwords were lost in a contemporary fire, so it is only from later histories that we can deduce this much. 572 BC: By this date, regular record-keeping has resumed. Five states now cover Kompatiasi. In the west is Uasi, led by the old Queen Kunyanyaswa. Covering much of central Kompatiasi, from OTL Rajhastan to the Himalayas, is the Republic of Mapokeo, with the first known democratic (for upper-class men and women, excluding slaves) parliament in Kompatiasi. Southern Kompatiasi is under the command of Nahodha, first Emperor of Meli N'guvu. The island of Lulu (OTL Sri Lanka) is governed by Queen Nawahuki, while eastern Kompatiasi is known as Mashariki Ya Nchi, or the Eastern Land. 568 BC: King Uutafutaji of Mashariki sends forth an expedition of 1000 scientists, soldiers and diplomats towards the southeast. 564 BC: A mosaic found on an ancient floor in the Kingdom of Lulu, dated from this year, shows several lateen-sailed ships with pintle-and-gudgeon rudders. This indicates a high level of naval technology not seen elsewhere in Kompatiasi at this time. Meanwhile, in the northwestern Kingdom of Uasi, there is evidence of the use of counterweight trebuchets against fortified cities. 559 BC: The Masharikian expedition returns from Southeast Asia. They report that they have successfully opened up trade, and secured exclusive rights for Mashariki ahead of other Kompatiasin states. 559 - 492 BC: Kompatiasi undergoes a time of relative peace and prosperity. Technology continues to advance, as the various states rebuild and develop the aqueducts and athvani (roads) of their predecessors. The Midogo Plain (OTL Rajhastani desert) produces almost as much rice as the Masharikans. All of the states of Kompatiasi attempt to outdo and outcompete one another. One of the most famous examples is the "Battle of the Palaces". Records show that in 545, the king of Meli N'guvu built a new palace which outshone "all other buildings in splendor." In response, the Masharikan king built a larger, more impressive palace, etc. Over two dozen new palaces were built over a 30 year period, two of which still stand in relatively good condition today. Mashariki and Lulu both develop strong trade and cultural relations with the states of Southeast Asia. By 492, most states in Southeast Asia follow Bhramatumpa. 492 - 470 BC: The second major invasion of Kompatiasi takes place. This time, the invaders are a Central Asian tribe, from a land "between the Great Salt Sea (Caspian) and the Roofs of the Sky (Himalayas)". Known as the Anak Vrasi, they use metal and leather stirrups to stand in their saddles and shoot. Their culture values archery so highly that a man is considered to be of age when he can shoot his father's bow accurately enough to kill a bear from one hundred feet; usually around age twelve. He is then allowed to make his own bow, a process which takes up to a year. The Anak Vrasi, under the leadership of Beliw, take Kompatiasi by surprise, and conquer almost all of the north. Their brutal method of warfare leaves entire cities destroyed with their people killed, and they have a habit of salting the ground they conquer before moving on. Although Mapokeo manages to win several battles against the Anak Vrasi through use of sudmo-akstho (battle elephants), the Anak Vrasi soon learn that the elephants can be made to go mad with pain by shooting them through the ear; at which point the sudmo-akstho will destroy anything indiscriminately, allowing the horse-mounted barbarians to escape while the Kompatiasin infantry is destroyed. 483 BC: Beliw, the leader of the Anak Vrasi, is assassinated by a legendary Kompatiasin named Mkombozi. After killing the chieftain, Mkombozi manages to kill his three sons and two main generals as well before being brought down. With their leadership destroyed and no clear succession, the Anak Vrasi fall to infighting and are slowly pushed out of Kompatiasi. The last Vrasi are eliminated in the Battle of Kuondoa in 470. In their wake, they leave widespread societal collapse. Famine and lawlessness are rife, most organized states are in ruins, and much of Kompatiasi's infrastructure has been lost or destroyed. The only states to survive the invasion are Lulu and Mashariki Ya Nchi. 470 - 422 BC: Kompatiasi falls into the Grey Age, so named because it is the color of dying plants, rubble, and dust. Lulu, the only state untouched by the invasions, sends out naval expeditions to the west and east in 430 BC. Mashariki Ya Nchi is concerned with rebuilding itself, and does not expand either. Meanwhile, a ten-year drought across much of northern Kompatiasi kills millions and slows down the return of large, organized states. 422 is traditionally dated as the end of the Grey Age, as it is in this year that the king of one of the newly formed states, Hali Mipiya, sends emissaries to Mashariki and Lulu to re-establish trade and diplomatic relations. 402 BC: At the end of the Grey Age, there are six major states in Kompatiasi. The island Kingdom of Lulu (located on OTL Sri Lanka) has developed a powerful and wide-ranging navy, trading with nations as far as Egypt and Indonesia. Meanwhile, Mashariki Ya Nchi has re-established itself as the preeminent power in north-eastern Kompatiasi, although it lost some territory to the Sinic Kingdom of Panela. The Restored Kingdom of Kompati (named after the ancient empire on the same spot) rules the rich land of northern Kompatiasi, while further to the west, the Kingdom of Hali Mipiya dominates the Indus Valley, the fields of Mipango (Rajhastan and the Punjab), and much of the rest of western Kompatiasi. The last major state is the Hakiviongozi (kritocracy) of Kusinimju. Kusinimuju was the former capitol of Meli N'guvu, and had survived the Anak Vrasi invasion intact. At the time, it was the largest city in Kompatiasi, with a population surpassing 600,000 people. Across Kompatiasi, infrastructure is destroyed or in decline, and intra-continental trade is only just starting back up. Using slave labor (many slaves being imported from Southeast Asia), the athvani (roads) and acqueducts are slowly rebuilt, and the cities revert from wood to brick to stone. 402-232 BC: Kompatiasi's Second Golden Age. During this time, science and technology once again flourish. Excellent astronomers and mathematicians such as Falaki, Nyota Mtzamo, and Juamuumini develop the first heliocentric model of the Solar System, which gains widespread acceptance across Kompatiasi. Using this model, they further develop the backstaff and the astrolabe. With these advances, Kompatiasin navies become the most advanced in the world. Driven partially by a crew of rowers and partially by lateen sails, the ships are armed with large ballistas and small catapults, as well as a ram. Naval warfare during this time period comprises attempts to sink the other's ship using long-range catapults, all while maneuvering furiously to try and reach the most advantageous position for a shot. If these techniques fail, the ships close ranks and attempt to ram one another, while archers fire back and forth and soldiers attempt to board each others' ships. Another major advance in technology comprised the smoke bomb. Made of simple ingredients (saltpeter and sugar, mostly), the bombs were often launched towards the enemy to prevent them from shooting accurately, or just to spread chaos in their ranks by preventing them from seeing the banners telling them how to maneuver. The Five States period (another name for the Second Golden Age) is noted as well for the ferocity with which the Kompatiasin states competed with one another. No fewer then twenty-two wars are recorded between the various states are recorded during this time period. Most of these wars were short, lasting no longer than a month, but two caused serious shifts in power between the states. The Kusinmijuan-Lulan War (362-359 BCE) resulted in Lulu losing its naval supremacy in the Kompatiasin Ocean, which it had held since approximately 550 BCE. With their innovative tactic of bolting catapults to the decks of ships, the Kusinmijuans win the Battle of Kisiwa (off OTL Adam's Bridge) in 360 BC, though it takes a threatened land invasion of Lulu to bring about an end to the war. The second major war to take place between the Five States was the War of Kompatiasin Succession, taking place from 305 BC to 299 BC. The three northern Kompatiasin states (Mashariki Ya Nchi, Hali Mpiya, and Kompati) had coexisted with only a few major wars for nearly one hundred years, but, beginning in 331 BC, events conspired to make it otherwise. In that year, Crown Prince Matatizo of Kompati marries a princess of the Mpiyan royal family, Princess Kuvutia. This marriage, intended to bring the two kingdoms closer together, has the opposite effect. From the beginning, the royal couple hate one another (they had not met before their marriage). In addition, Matatizo supsects that Kuvutia favors the Mpiyans over his people, the Kompati. When their son, Hatimo, is born in 330, they begin to fight over his loyalties. As he grows up, Hatimo professes to love only Kompati, but it is widely suspected that he is completely under his mother's control. Hatimo had ascended to the throne in 328 BC, but died in 305. After taking the throne relatively peacefully, Hatimo clumsily reveals his true nature when he invites the Mpiyan army into Kompati "to aid us, their brothers, with the bandits that have been troubling the area". A widespread revolt of the Kompatian military takes place, and so the war begins. The revolting forces of Kompati, led by General Wazalendo, quickly seize control over much of Kompati, while Hatimo flees to Mpiya and launches his attack from there. Over the next six years, the war is battled back and forth. In 302 BC, Mashariki Ya Nchi enters the war when forces loyal to General Wazalendo "accidentally" enter their territory. However, Wazalendo proves himself to be a brilliant commander. The Mpiyans and Masharikans are forced into an alliance of convenience, but have trouble agreeing on a single strategy, and often interfere with one another or get in each other's way. Wazalendo plays this beautifully, to the extent that the Masharikans, in the Battle of the Accident (300), launch a surprise attack on a camp they believe to be Wazalendo's, but is in fact Mpiyan, only realizing their mistake after an hour of confused fighting. In 299, the war draws to a close, with Wazalendo firmly in control of Kompati. Prince Hatimo, captured in the Battle of Hofu (299), is exiled to Lulu, and the Restored Kingdom of Kompati becomes the dominant state in Kompatiasi.